Craft Spa Workout - Stationery

Now don't faint.... yes.. I am actually posting something.... and I am actually posting the projects from this week's session a whole day before I do the first session!!

So this week is Stationery - and we will be doing a mouse mat; a double notebook and pencil holder; a post it note holder  - and a notecards booklet.

So first off is the mousemat. I have used the On A Pedestal stamp set and the gorgeous Night & Day speciality papers along with Real Red and Old Olive. The flower is from the Die Cut Blooms pack ( flowers also in Bashful Blue; Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive) The leaves are punched using the 5 petal flower punch.

Secondly the notebook and pencil holder.  I have used the Sweet Pea paper pack along with Taken with Teal cardstock ( which I will be SO upset to see retire in September) The stamps used on the front are from the Take Note set by Papertrey Ink.. which I was sent as an early birthday present. Mmmmm!

The pencil is wrapped with just a 1" wide strip of the Sweet Pea paper. Our Tombow glue just can't be beaten for gluing stuff like this!!  I didn't even have to use pegs to hold it all together - it really does just take a few seconds for this glue to grab and hold.....

Inside I have used the Trendy Trees stamp set ( which is still one of my most used and favourite Stampin' Up!stamps!!) - along with some more stamps from the PTI Take Note set.

This double notebook and pencil holder was inspired by a similar one posted by Nichole Heady using the PTI Take Note stamp set when it was released in January 2010.  However the sizes are different to her template as the notebooks are a different size and I wanted a higher pencil holder so it kept a tighter fit around the pencil.

And then my handbag post it note holder. I used the Brighton inspired handbag template from Becky Roberts blog. (aka Inking Idaho) This template was a perfect fit for a standard 3" square post it note pad and it is one of a set of 3 of the most gorgeous TRES CHIC handbags for which Becky does a tutorial. So 2 more of these will be appearing on here at some point!! 

The papers are from the Sunny Day Scrappin' Kit.

The Stamp set is Hello Again - which I have used on the bag closure and on every page of the post it note pad.... this set is lovely little useful one ( 5 stamps for just £9.95).  Though the Jot this DOWN wording is another stamp from the PTI Take Note set.

And last but not least - the NoteCard Book - this is just a supermarker bought little booklet containing 4 colours of study cards.

I used various papers from the Tea & Crumpets paper pack to cover the front and back of the book along with the PTI Take Note stamp set again - and the gorgeous All A Flutter butterfly stamp. The Spiral punch was great for this project - the holes lined up perfectly with the rings on the book - making the job of covering the booklet SO easy!!!

A few little flowers using the One of a Kind stamp set and the Boho Blossoms punch - and 4 tabs for each of the colour cards inside - and it was ready!

And lastly - did you notice this gorgeous butterfly...... I have embossed it using the white embossing powder on the vellum cardstock and then just cut it out - very simple but stunning ( and I am not even a butterfly fancier which I know so many of you fellow crafters are!!!)

Spa Workout - Playing with Inks and Brayers

Just a quick posting of the projects we will be working on this week.  I have never been a inky/messing kind of girl.... but I have really enjoyed doing these 4 projects. And I now wouldn't be without my brayer - or my daubers!! I can't believe that I had the finger daubers for 4 years... tried but not really used... and then something clicked.... and now I can't stop using them - so thank goodness Stampin' Up! sells them in packs of a dozen.......

Firstly, a card that I have CASEd from fellow  Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, Jo Dumbleton 

Jo's cards are linked here .http://stampin-n-stuff.blogspot.com/2010/02/brayered-pocket-silhouettes.html   This has to be my all time favourite brayering sample... so I couldn't ignore it when asked to do a brayering class. I just simplified the base and used the 1/2" circle punch to round the edges. So thank you Jo...... a gorgeous card!

The second project uses the Baby Wipe technique to make a custom ink pad. This was then used to ink up the pheasant from the Autumn Days set - I guess I would get about 25 images from this ink pad... saves a lot of time colouring individually with markers.......

The Field of Corn panel was created using the Emboss Resist Technique and applying Soft Suede ink over the top with an applicator. I then overstamped the corn in Soft Suede ink over the moon and the long grass in Elegant Eggplant. DSP from the Sunny Days kit - and some of the beautiful new Soft Suede polka dot ribbon.

And then we have the Background Stamped & Brayered Emboss Resist Technique ( I think I have probably just made up that name!) But I just loved making this card.

 Quick resume... ink up & stamp French Script background; ink up & stamp Baroque in Versamark over the top & add clear embossing powder, heat. Then brayer over the gorgeous new Rich Razzleberry ink & wipe off with a cloth to reveal the Script background within the Baroque shape. Add the Elegant Thank You greeting punched out as a 1 3/4" circle and the Vintage Vogue flower...... 

This is the taken to another level by also stamping Melon Mambo flowers & Old Olive leaves from the Vintage Vogue set over the French Script background before applying the emboss resist Baroque image over the top.

And lastly a simple treat bag with a Trendy Tree on the hills with a sun..... but this one was daubed and not brayered... which still works for me....

And now I need to rush off.... my son needs picking up from school an hour earlier than planned..... so I have to be off!!